Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 493 in Mayenne, Pays de la Loire.
Houssay is too small to grade: French towns get subject grades from 1,000 residents.
The one thing Houssay does most differently from other towns.
The Culture ministry lists 1 historic monument in Houssay: 1 classé (France’s highest heritage protection) and 0 inscrit (the second level).
The oldest protected part dates from the 16th century; the first monument here was protected in 1991.
33% of its homes were built before 1919, against 7.4% in the median compared French town.
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Houssay.
For Houssay, that is above both Mayenne’s towns (16%) and compared French towns (17%). Those 65 and older account for 13% of residents.
47% women, 53% men
About 114 men for every 100 women. Median share of women: Mayenne 52.1%, France 51.8%.
| Houssay | Mayenne median | France median | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 25% | 16% | 17% |
| 15–24 | 9.5% | 10% | 11% |
| 25–44 | 30% | 20% | 23% |
| 45–64 | 23% | 26% | 26% |
| 65+ | 13% | 27% | 22% |
| No diploma | 12% | 24% | 19% |
| CAP or BEP | 23% | 29% | 26% |
| Baccalauréat | 28% | 17% | 18% |
| Higher education | 32% | 25% | 30% |
INSEE, census 2023 · Mayenne median and France median: the median of compared communes
France has no History Grade yet: this card describes, it doesn’t grade.
Houssay sits above both Mayenne’s towns (8.6%) and compared French towns (7.4%) on this measure. The Culture ministry lists 1 historic monument in Houssay: 1 classé (France’s highest heritage protection) and 0 inscrit (the second level). Among the classé monuments in Houssay is Château de la Rongère.
Ministère de la Culture, Mérimée (Licence Ouverte 2.0) · INSEE, census 2023, homes by build period
That puts Houssay below both Mayenne’s towns (6.7%) and compared French towns (10.1%). Houssay has 50 jobs for 250 working residents, 0.2 per worker. 4.5% of commuters went to work on foot, by bike or by public transport at the census.
Source: INSEE, census 2023 (commuting, employment, jobs at place of work); INSEE, Filosofi 2023 · Licence Ouverte
Rents are the ministry’s estimates of advertised rents, not rents actually paid.
Too few homes sold here for a reliable median price.
Source: Housing Ministry, Carte des loyers 2025; INSEE, Filosofi 2023 · Licence Ouverte
Heritage in and near Houssay. Best known first.
Houssay has one historic monument; beside it, the nearest classé monuments in other towns, within 15.5 mi.
Château de la Rongère: Photo: Edmond8300 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Wikidata has nobody with a French article born in Houssay yet.
The nearest towns of 2,500 or more. The map uses IGN’s commune boundaries. See them on the map →
| Town | People | Miles | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houssay | 493 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Château-Gontier-sur-Mayenne | 16,584 | 6.4 | A | B | C+ | A− |
| L'Huisserie | 4,672 | 7.7 | A+ | B+ | A+ | B− |
| Cossé-le-Vivien | 3,174 | 8.3 | A− | A | A+ | C− |
| Meslay-du-Maine | 2,779 | 8.9 | A+ | A | A+ | A− |
| Craon | 4,431 | 11 | A+ | A− | B | B |
| Laval | 49,400 | 11 | B | B− | D | B+ |
People: INSEE, census 2023. Miles: center to center.
Commune in Mayenne, Pays de la Loire
Houssay is a commune of 493 people in the Communauté de communes du Pays de Château-Gontier. TownRatings compares communes, France’s local unit: each has its own mayor and its own statistics. Its area takes in the town and the countryside around it.
Built from INSEE’s 2026 official geography (COG) and IGN Admin Express boundaries
Sources: INSEE, census 2023 (population, employment, commuting) · INSEE, Filosofi 2023 (income per consumption unit, poverty) · Housing Ministry, Carte des loyers 2025 · SSMSI, recorded crime by commune, 2023–2025 · Ministry of Education (DEPP), brevet and bac results and value-added indicators, 2025 · INSEE, deaths by commune of residence 2016–2025 and censuses 2012–2023; Eurostat, death rates by age (© European Union); INSEE, BPE 2025 (care homes, emergency and maternity units, GPs, pharmacies); DREES, APL 2024; INSEE, life expectancy by département 2025 (provisional) · INSEE, BPE 2025 and Filosofi 200 m grid (walking distances) · IGN Admin Express (boundaries) · TownRatings grades: our own summary of the data, ranking French towns against each other only, updated October 30, 2026. Under the Licence Ouverte / Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab).
Contains public sector information under the Licence Ouverte / Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab): INSEE, DGFiP, the Interior Ministry’s statistics service (SSMSI), the Ministry of Education (DEPP), the Health Ministry’s statistics service (DREES) and the Housing Ministry (Carte des loyers). Commune boundaries: IGN Admin Express.